Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Craig, Colorado 81625
Saturday, September 14, 1985 9:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER WAS LONG-LINING A 1280-POUND AIR COMPRESSOR TO AN 8500-FOOT MSL MOUNTAIN DRILLING SITE. WITNESSES HEARD A SQUEALING SOUND AND BANG. THEY OBSERVED GRAY-WHITE SMOKE AND ORANGE-BLUE FLAME EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE PLT RELEASED THE LOAD AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING IN A NEARBY CLEARING. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES AND CRASHED. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT ALL SIX SCREWS IN THE DIFFUSER LABYRINTH SEAL WERE LOOSE. ONE SCREW HAD BACKED OUT AHD HAD SCORED THE BACK OF THE CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR. THE SCREW HAD ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND WAS BENT OPPOSITE THE COMPRESSOR'S DIRECTION OF ROTATION. THE HOLE WAS ELONGATED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/14/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | CRAIG |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81625 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 1000 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 215 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CAG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6198 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6766 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2779 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1115 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 30536 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3836E |
| NTSB Number | DEN85FA241 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | SA315B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SA315B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2571 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5040 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 3 1985 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 26 |
| Airframe Hours | 2751 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EAGLE GILLS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 118 HIGH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW PORT RICHEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33552 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RON & PENNY LIVINGSTON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7553 COUNTY ROAD 25 |
| Operator City | CORTEZ |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 81321 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | CRAIG |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |